Kylotan
I don't see a problem with posts like this one. Forums shouldn't be some sort of self-congratulatory group where we all talk about how amazing our choice of software is. This guy had some problems and it's useful for developers to hear from such dissatisfied users.
There's nothing inherently wrong with posts that complain about SONAR. However, context matters. The definition of this forum is "Discussion focused
on the use of SONAR Producer, Studio, Essential and Base." There are four forums in the Feedback Loop section, with three devoted specifically to
problems related to SONAR, the forum, and the store, as well as one to post ideas and suggestions. The OP didn't answer anyone's question, offer any tips, or help anyone better achieve their goals of making better music with SONAR.
When you [kylotan] post a complaint, the ones I've seen are in the context of a) you know the program, so the problem is not due to lack of knowledge, b) you ask for confirmation from others that they experience the same problem to make sure it's not pilot error or something system-specific (which then encourages discussion, and sometimes reveals workarounds), and c) this helps people use the program better because they've been warned about a specific, reproducible issue. This to me is constructive criticism that often has a positive outcome.
The premise that the OP didn't want feedback and was addressing the developers seems odd. Then why not use one of the forums mentioned previously, or use the "contact Cakewalk" option available from the top nav bar? Why post in a peer-to-peer forum and then say you don't want feedback?
But I think it's also a matter of courtesy. When I switched to SONAR, it
never would have occurred to me to be so rude as to go into forums of the programs I used previously and say I was switching to SONAR, and good-bye to those programs. Those forums had people who were solving problems, exchanging tips, figuring out workarounds, etc. I feel it would be
extremely narcissistic to think my opinion of a program is
so important that I need to tell people the software they're using is a "waste of money," "inefficient and frustrating," "not enjoyable, not amusing and a waste of my creative time," "it creates more problems than it solves," "the demo is completely useless." That's not constructive criticism, that's a tantrum from someone who doesn't get his own way.
Never mind that my experience with SONAR is the exact opposite of what he describes. Why? Because only a fool wouldn't realize all programs have limitations, and the reason why so many programs exist is because people have specific needs, and they will assess a program's strengths and limitations in order choose the one that's most compatible with what they want to accomplish, in the way they want to accomplish it. There is no one-size-fits-all program.
If I had to use Fruity Loops for the kind of work I do, I would run screaming from the room. So should I go into the Image-Line forums and complain about all the things it doesn't do?
Of course not. It's a fine program and the perfect match for many users. Just because it's not the perfect match for me, why should
anyone care? Especially those who enjoy the program?
Finally, there's a difference between posts by experienced users who describe real limitations that exist and require fixing, and short-term users who experience limitations due to lack of knowledge or familiarity with the program. Rant posts often include a mixture of real and imagined problems.